Groundspeak DO expect to moderate things outside their control until shouted down. Look what they did to the YouTube cacherspoiler guy. This is the same thing. They try to moderate by heavy handedness until someone kicks up a stink. If you are OK with the rule, that's fine by me. If you think the rule is set up to penalise those who engage in other listing services, then it's not OK and Groundspeak should be told.

And if they shut down a mega event for discussing it on GCA I think people will kick up a stink...

Is there now avenue to request clarification or a ruling from Groundspeak about cachers discussing a mega event on this forum and weather that contravenes their new rule?I'd have though it was a reasonable question to ask them.

Is there now avenue to request clarification or a ruling from Groundspeak about cachers discussing a mega event on this forum and weather that contravenes their new rule?I'd have though it was a reasonable question to ask them.

Someone who is organising a Mega will have to ask that.Its not our problem, we don't need Groundspeak's blessing for anything we do here, it's the Mega organisers who will have to take the risk.

Ok,howsabout this then for a workaround:We place a post in the forums, sticked for future use:

Quote:

MEGA event organisers:

Please be aware that asking us to promote your event through:* Giving prominence on Dashboards* Banners and Daily emails * Promotion of your event from the official committee using the facilities here (forums/blogs etc)

All of these things have actual commercial value based on previous approaches from potential sponsors and MAY be construed by others as in-kind 'sponsorship from a cache listing site'.

Geocaching Australia will take NO responsibility (moral, financial or other) for the fate of your MEGA in the event it is demoted due to Groundspeak's MEGA Event sponsorship exclusivity clause from using this site or its facilities in any way.

It is up to YOU to seek clarification or permission with Grounspeak if you are uncertain. We will provide no other forms of assistance, endorsement, sponsorship or prizes for this type of event.

As an ex-Senator but someone who still seems to have access here, I think there is too much being made of this. GC cannot control what is said on forums around the world, and many forums discussing caches exist outside their control. If they want to introduce this rule retrospectively and consider that GCA is sponsoring the event by allowing discussion then both Aussie megas would be cancelled.

My belief is that while GC would prefer we all use their forums, they must recognise we don't - either here or in NZ. I can't see how it would benefit them to stop discussions on mega events either here or in the gps.org.nz forums, as it will simply mean the megas won't happen as not enough people will know about them. I would consider it pretty petty of them to delist a mega because someone is discussing it elsewhere - whether they are an alternative listing site or not. It's not like GCA is competing by trying to hold it's own mega. And yes, they can be petty. But how about we wait for Big Matt's feedback from them about whether allowing discussion here would jeapordise an event's status.

But how about we wait for Big Matt's feedback from them about whether allowing discussion here would jeapordise an event's status.

I don't see how informal DISCUSSION by members could cause issue. I don't know why anyone's approaching GC about it, it's nothing to do with GCA

The items in my post above most certainly could cause problems.

We were approached by the previous mega to do the things I mention two posts up.By rights under the new rulings they could cause issues, and we don't want to be the ones who get blamed if it all goes tits up.

And if GC are not allowing any love for us thru the mega, we shouldn't be sending love their way.

I don't think people are grasping the issue:It's us doing any active PROMOTING, ASSISTING or providing ADVERTISING for a Mega that's the major issue for *US*, not chit chat in a forum.

The GC guys in here can talk to all the people they want, this site isn't seeking approval from anyone for anything we do. The risk isn't ours to take.

But how about we wait for Big Matt's feedback from them about whether allowing discussion here would jeapordise an event's status.

I don't see how informal DISCUSSION by members could cause issue. I don't know why anyone's approaching GC about it, it's nothing to do with GC or even the organisers.

Given that even mentioning pathtags on the GC.com forums can earn someone a ban, I can easily see even informal discussion causing issue. >.< But yes, clarification is needed in this, because as we can see, some fair extreme examples can be brought out to play.

Quote:

And if GC are not allowing any love for us thru the mega, we shouldn't be sending love their way.

But yes, clarification is needed in this, because as we can see, some fair extreme examples can be brought out to play.

We (GCA) need no clarification (about forum discussions), no-one should be seeking it in our name. We don't care at the end of the day!The GC approvers and the Mega people will need to seek this, we are not to advise others on Groundspeak policy.GC cannot and will not be able to police this site anyway, their whole TOS is irrelevant to what happens here.

My take on all this is that GC.com doesn't want their listed events being sponsored by other organisations because those organisations could then assume a right to promote themselves at the event either directly with stalls (101geo, Munzee) or indirectly with signs, sponsorship acknowledgements etc.

Using the forums here to discuss or facilitate our attendance at the event does not imply anything, and I'm sure GC.com wouldn't delist an event because it was discussed here or anywhere else. If the event actively promoted competitors with signage or other acknowledgements then it could be delisted, quite rightly.

GC cannot control what is said on forums around the world, and many forums discussing caches exist outside their control.

CraigRat wrote:

GC cannot and will not be able to police this site anyway, their whole TOS is irrelevant to what happens here.

Yes, but they can ban you or remove your listing if you breach their TOS. It wasn't that long ago that a cacher was banned because their "Geocaching spoilers" videos on Youtube were deemed to breach the Groundspeak ToS. If I were to list spoilers for caches on these forums, I could be banned.

OT: Thumbs up for the sticky note in the forums, that seems to be the best way of dealing with it.